[All] Bill 23, Greenbelt, ROP Update - Thursday

Thu Nov 17 20:02:05 EST 2022

Good evening,

The momentum against Bill 23 continues to build with excellent in-depth investigative reporting raising troubling questions about recent developer land purchases in the Greenbelt and the provincial government’s ties to a handful of big donor developers.  There are also a record number of protests and rallies happening across the province - I am aware of more than a dozen rallies planned for tomorrow in addition to many more over the weekend.

1) Investigative Reporting on Bill 23 - Worthwhile reading in the Toronto Star - "They recently bought Greenbelt land that was undevelopable.  Now the Ford government is poised to remove protections - and these developers stand to profit” https://www.therecord.com/ts/news/investigations/2022/11/17/they-recently-bought-greenbelt-land-that-was-undevelopable-now-the-ford-government-is-poised-to-remove-protections-and-these-developers-stand-to-profit.html <https://www.therecord.com/ts/news/investigations/2022/11/17/they-recently-bought-greenbelt-land-that-was-undevelopable-now-the-ford-government-is-poised-to-remove-protections-and-these-developers-stand-to-profit.html>

2) News coverage of our local rallies yesterday - https://www.therecord.com/local-new-hamburg/news/2022/11/16/citizens-groups-protest-bill-23-in-elmira.html <https://www.therecord.com/local-new-hamburg/news/2022/11/16/citizens-groups-protest-bill-23-in-elmira.html>

3) Dozens of Rallies Across Ontario - Speak up and join rallies in communities across Ontario with this interactive map - https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1Vb3nSQnJH031dAK-Q-_34SO6n_mf1fI&ll=44.471772926512486%2C-78.31762795&z=7 <https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1Vb3nSQnJH031dAK-Q-_34SO6n_mf1fI&ll=44.471772926512486,-78.31762795&z=7>  This includes a rally at Doug Ford’s Etobicoke office at 11am on Friday (more details below).
There is even talk of a provincial day of action or general strike on November 26th if momentum continues to build.

4) Radio Ads - Fundraising continues to grow for our radio ads and lawn signs with $1,800 already raised that will be matched by the Small Change Fund giving us a budget of at least $3,600 to work with.  Please donate online as soon as possible so we know what sort of budget we have to work with for our airtime purchase and also if we should be printing more signs.  https://smallchangefund.ca/project/protect-the-greenbelt-and-visionary-regional-planning-in-the-grand-river-watershed/ <https://smallchangefund.ca/project/protect-the-greenbelt-and-visionary-regional-planning-in-the-grand-river-watershed/>

Also check out the three radio ads (attached below) from Toronto area groups that are going to start airing on Monday.  Our radio team is working on three similar ads using the same background soundtrack for consistency across the province. 

5) Awareness - keep raising awareness about Bill 23 and the harm it stands to do to our communities by e-mailing others, and posting on social media.  Also, please use the easy online tools to create customized e-mails to the Premier, Cabinet, local MPPs and Regional Officials.  
	- For Region of Waterloo Residents concerned about Regional Planning changes and the destruction of our Regional Official Plan please visit www.holdthelinewr.org <http://www.holdthelinewr.org/>.
	- For residents in Guelph, Brantford and other parts of the Grand River Watershed more focussed on the Bill 23 and the Greenbelt please visit - https://www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca/take_action_on_bill_23? <https://www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca/take_action_on_bill_23?>

6) Friday 5:30pm Zoom Update Meeting - a reminder about our 5:30pm Zoom meeting tomorrow (Friday) to go over the latest news and information, learn how to get lawn signs, and discuss next steps in our fight against these awful provincial actions.  Please invite others who you think might be interested to join as well - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09 <https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09>

Please share any questions or ideas and lets keep up the great work!

Cheers,
Kevin.

--------------------------------------

1) One-Pager/E-mail Versions - select your favourite, customize as you like and send to everyone in your address book you think should be aware of Bill 23.

a) Conversational Style Version

b) Data/Fact Driven Style Version

c) Bullet Point Version

-------------------------------------

2) Join Rallies Across Ontario

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1Vb3nSQnJH031dAK-Q-_34SO6n_mf1fI&ll=44.471772926512486%2C-78.31762795&z=7 <https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1Vb3nSQnJH031dAK-Q-_34SO6n_mf1fI&ll=44.471772926512486,-78.31762795&z=7> 

---------------------------------------

3) Check Out the Toronto Ads Against Bill 23

---------------------------------------

Dates to Remember:

Friday, November 18th - 5:30pm - Next group Zoom Update/Planning Meeting - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09 <https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09>

Sunday, December 4th - Deadline for submissions to the Environmental Registry of Ontario - https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-6216 <https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-6216>

--------------------------------------

Speak Up and Ensure Your Voice is Heard:

Premier Doug Ford - doug.fordco at pc.ola.org <mailto:doug.fordco at pc.ola.org> or 416-325-1941
Steve Clark - Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing - steve.clark at pc.ola.org <mailto:steve.clark at pc.ola.org> or 416-585-7214
David Piccini - Minster of Environment, Conservation and Parks - david.paccini at pc.ola.org <mailto:david.paccini at pc.ola.org> or 905-372-4000
Todd Smith - Minister of Energy - todd.smith at pc.ola.org <mailto:todd.smith at pc.ola.org> or 613-962-1144
Michael Parsa - Associate Minister of Housing - michael.parsaco at pc.ola.org <mailto:michael.parsaco at pc.ola.org>

Local Conservative MPPs:
Mike Harris Jr - MPP Kitchener-Conestoga - mike.harris at pc.ola.org <mailto:mike.harris at pc.ola.org> or 519-669-2090
Brian Riddell - MPP Cambridge - brian.riddell at pc.ola.org <mailto:brian.riddell at pc.ola.org> or 519-650-2770
Jess Dixon - MPP Kitchener South - jess.dixon at pc.ola.org <mailto:jess.dixon at pc.ola.org> or 519-650-9413

Local NDP MPPs:
Catherine Fife - MPP Waterloo - cfife-qp at ndp.on.ca <mailto:cfife-qp at ndp.on.ca> or 519-725-3477
Laura Mae Lindo - MPP Kitchener Centre - llindo-qp at ndp.on.ca <mailto:llindo-qp at ndp.on.ca> or 519-579-5460

Or use the Hold The Line Waterloo Region engagement engine to automatically address and send an e-mail you help to draft: www.holdthelinewr.org <http://www.holdthelinewr.org/>

------------------------------------------
Resources:

	-  50x30WR Website Listing Resources - https://www.50by30wr.ca/events <https://www.50by30wr.ca/events>

	- Olde Berlin Town Website Listing Resources - https://oldeberlintown.ca/information-about-proposed-bill-23/ <https://oldeberlintown.ca/information-about-proposed-bill-23/>
	- Yours to Protect Resources - https://yourstoprotect.ca/hands-off-the-greenbelt-digital-materials/ <https://yourstoprotect.ca/hands-off-the-greenbelt-digital-materials/>

-------------------------------------

Kevin Thomason
Vice-Chair, Grand River Environmental Network

1115 Cedar Grove Road
Waterloo, Ontario Canada  N2J 3Z4

Phone: (519) 888-0519
Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648
Twitter: @kthomason
E-mail: kevinthomason at mac.com <mailto:kevinthomason at mac.com>

-----------------------------------------

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0008.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Bill 23 Waterloo One Pager - Conversational v3.docx
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Size: 17463 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0003.docx>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0009.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Bill 23 Waterloo One Pager - Factual Style v3.docx
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Size: 16381 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0004.docx>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0010.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Bill 23 Waterloo One Pager - Bullet Points v3.docx
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Size: 18998 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0005.docx>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0011.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: RALLY IN ETOBICOKE (1).png
Type: image/png
Size: 128035 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0001.png>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0012.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Save_the_Greenbelt_Promised_30sec_ENG_RADIO_FULL_MIX_-16LFKS.mp3
Type: audio/mpeg
Size: 1202688 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0003.mp3>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0013.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Save_the_Greenbelt_Counted_On-As_Scripted_30sec_ENG_RADIO_FULL_MIX_-16LFKS.mp3
Type: audio/mpeg
Size: 1202688 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0004.mp3>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0014.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Save_the_Greenbelt_Families_30sec_ENG_RADIO_FULL_MIX_-16LFKS.mp3
Type: audio/mpeg
Size: 1202688 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0005.mp3>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://gren.ca/pipermail/all_gren.ca/attachments/20221117/611a2228/attachment-0015.html>